Tortured Souls (The Orion Circle #1) by Kimber Leigh Wheaton
Synopsis
Sometimes Rest in Peace isn’t an option…
Kacie Ramsey sees ghosts—and it’s ruining her life. Her mother left, her father blames her, and no matter how hard she tries, she can’t keep the ghosts away. Now a new power has emerged. Nightly visions of grisly murders and a relentless predator draw her to the brink of insanity.
When the phantom appears at a party, Kacie’s longtime crush, Logan, saves her. He invites her to join the Orion Circle, a group of supernatural hunters with chapters in schools all over the country. Through the Circle, Kacie learns to embrace her spiritual powers, and for the first time in her life she feels in control rather than a victim.
But the Foxblood Demon will not give up so easily. A demented serial killer in life who trapped the souls of the thirteen children he murdered, imprisoning them within the walls of his mansion. Now in death, he plots his return while drawing power from the pure souls of the children. He recognizes something in Kacie he’s never seen before—a medium powerful enough to provide a vessel for his tainted soul.
Kacie can’t ignore the tortured souls of the children crying out to her every night. With Logan at her side, she will fight the Foxblood Demon. But can they banish this powerful phantom, or will Kacie lose not only her body, but her eternal soul to the monster.
My Review
Kacie has an unusual gift that she’s kept hidden for most of her life. When she did try to confide in her family, it didn’t go so well. So when the guy she’s been crushing on not only suddenly shows an interest in her, but invites her to join the Orion Circle, the most exclusive club in school, things are about to get interesting.
Kacie learns that there are others with similar talents to hers and the Orion Circle are just one group of these. They use their abilities to investigate supernatural claims around town. Things go from interesting to dangerous pretty quickly as it appears dark demons are after Kacie.
The story moves, sometimes too quickly, not allowing me to catch a breather, and the relationship between Kacie and Logan is in that category. I felt like they jumped from mutually interested to full-on couplehood rather quickly. Logically, within the context of the story, it makes sense. They have a bond, but as a reader, I would have like to see this develop more naturally and at a slower pace.
Plot
This is a fast-paced story without a lot of subplots. As I mentioned above, there are times it feels like it moves too fast without giving the reader a chance to relax between the action. The plot isn’t necessarily ground-breaking either, but it is a solid paranormal tale with some interesting twists.
World Building
I’ve decided world building is my new favorite aspect of a story. When it’s well done, it transports me to a completely different place, even if the world is contemporary small-town America. But if I can picture the places where scenes take place, understand the social hierarchy of the subculture involved, I’m invested in the story. Tortured Souls has decent world building. Kimber Leigh Wheaton has developed a paranormal world with defined rules for interaction that is logical and flows well within the story.
Characters
Kacie is the only character I really felt like I knew. Even Logan is a bit of an enigma to me. The other members of the Orion Circle are more shallowly defined than I would like. That said, this is a plot-driven story and the plot holds up, even with a less-developed supporting cast.
Bottom Line
I enjoyed Tortured Souls. It’s a good paranormal adventure with enough romance to satisfy teen readers (and adults).
Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
About the Book
Title: Tortured Souls
Series: The Orion Circle #1
Author: Kimber Leigh Wheaton
Publisher: Sea Dragon Press
Pages: 227
Category: Young Adult Paranormal
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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Author Kimber Leigh Wheaton
About the Author
Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a bestselling YA/NA author with a soft spot for sweet romance.
She is married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three dogs, four cats, and lots of dragons. No, she doesn’t live on a farm, she just loves animals.
Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, video games, superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!)
She currently lives in San Antonio, TX but has been somewhat a rolling stone in life, having resided in several different cities and states.
Where to Find Kimber Leigh Wheaton
Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon